


Model Behavior

by overworkedunderwhelmed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Humor, Marichat, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, With a little Tension as a Treat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-12
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:07:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26424601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/overworkedunderwhelmed/pseuds/overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: It was only a matter of time before a Marinette Dupain-Cheng collection was to debut in Paris, a full few years ahead of University.  All of her friends were there beside her.With Hawkmoth still looming around every corner, that was a very good thing.Even with a bit of Ladybug luck, she was bound to need every single one of them.Luckily, she could count on each of them to be on model behavior when it counted.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 145
Kudos: 219





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this one for months now.
> 
> The last few weeks have been a struggle between getting time and energy to write and then just getting hit with a mess of Real Life Problems.
> 
> Thankfully, Enber stepped in to help me put a little gloss on this one so I can post and really get moving with it now.

“We’re short one Fairy Godmother.” Alix observed, rabbit ear barrettes subtly bouncing in her hair as her head darted back and forth.

Alya smirked, shifting her glasses back onto her nose as she frowned down at the phone screen. It was only because Marinette mattered so much that she was skipping out on chasing down this particular attack. “She is short. But our Cinderella is missing too.”

Mylene frowned, fussing and trying to smooth out the wrinkles in her blue and white jumpsuit. The wider leg billowed from her frantic motion. “Have _you_ heard from Juleka, Rose?”

Rose shook her head. Frowning, she dug her phone out of the inside pocket of the red hoodie sweater, revealing the peep of her soft pink blouse with a sweetheart bow at the collar. 

Alya fought to stifle a chuckle. Knowing Rose, she might not have agreed to play Marinette’s Red Riding Hood without it. 

Rose nibbled at her lower lip before pointedly pressing her lips into a thin line. “Juleka wasn’t feeling well last night. I know she went to bed early last night.”

“Oh…” Mylene breathed, her hands folding over the waist of her mock apron anxiously. “I hope she is feeling better today.”

Alix was — as always — far more blunt. “That sucks.”

Alya’s brows furrowed. That wasn't good. Not after they had been practicing everything over and over for Marinette for the past few weeks. “You haven’t heard from her?”

Rose’s nose wrinkled. “Not yet. And not for lack of trying. I had to send a message to Luka earlier to check in on her.”

“We’re here!” Marinette wheezed, tugging Kagami along behind her. “We’re here. Kagami called and I had to finish getting some of her fits just right.”

As the girls circled around, Marinette encouraged Kagami to take a spin around, showing off the last of her designs Kagami’s shirt was a pintucked dark blue bodice with peeps of red satin ribbon trim at the sleeves. A shiny pair of red barrettes were neatly placed into her hair. A pair of yellow gold high-waisted shorts was fastened with a matching cloth sash. She still wore her usual black leggings and red shoes.

“Dang, Marinette.” Alya whistled approvingly. “I didn’t think you had time for one more outfit.”

Marinette beamed, pops of her favorite pink and a deeper red peering out from her Hanfu-inspired sleeves. “I mean, I already had the Snow White design all plotted out. And Kagami’s measurements, before her Mom said she couldn’t stop over as often as I needed and didn’t want her in the show. So I simplified it a little bit, and finished up the sewing on the shirt.” 

Rose beamed. "It's super cute!"

Kagami’s face flushed a bit under the praise. 

Marinette's nose wrinkled up, as she backed up to take it all in view. “I would have liked to make the yellow gold shorts, too… except I ran out of time. I mean, Kagami had to buy these from the store.”

Alya snorted. "That's just awful Marinette," she chided sarcastically.

She shook her head. "It _is_ , actually. I was kind of holding out hope I could sneak Kagami onstage anyways."

Marinette stopped herself short, slowly peering around the room.

“Where is Juleka?” Marinette’s brows furrowed as she straightened out her sleeves. “I kind of wanted to see if she had a shade of red lipstick to match Kagami in a makeup kit.”

“Don’t worry.” Rose smiled reassuringly. “She’ll be here soon.”

"She isn't here yet?" 

Alya sighed heavily. Telling Marinette not to worry only ensured she would worry that much more.

A fact made all the more obvious by Marinette took all of that nervous energy out on her lower lip.

“Oh, no,” Rose cooed, soothingly. “Don't do that to your lip. Juleka always tells me not to do that when she helps me get ready for a recital. It makes the lipstick that much harder to stay in place.”

Mylene patted Marinette’s arm, comfortingly. “We still have an hour to get everything together.”

Alya leaned her head on Marinette’s shoulder. “She’s right. There’s no need to race now. And we can all help Juleka with makeup, too. Why don’t you sit down and have a drink?”

Marinette exhaled sharply, her hands resting over her stomach. “I don’t think I trust my stomach right now…”

Mom-mode engaged, Alya’s hands arms crossed over her chest. “It will probably help you calm down, Marinette.”

“Huh,” Alix murmured, as she shifted away from her usual place against the wall and her head out into the hallways. “Did you just hear that?” 

Alya shook her head. “What is it?”

“I swear I just heard someone say that Gabriel Agreste will actually be _here_ to judge the competition.” Alix’s brows furrowed. “I don’t think the man ever came to school once. Even my Dad was able to get away from the Louvre now and then." 

Kagami nodded. “He hasn’t gone to any of Adrien’s fencing matches. Even if she couldn’t always tell the match outcomes, my Mother would at least show up.”

Alya frowned, her eyes darting back to where Marinette was still wringing her hands pacing the short length of their huddle. “I mean, we know Adrien had a photo shoot this afternoon and Nathalie is with him. Which means Gabriel won’t be doing his usual video conferences through her, right?”

“Chloe had mentioned her Mom would be here all week, too.” Mylene offered helpfully.

“There,” Alya murmured. “See, it is probably more for him to collaborate with Chloe’s Mom on the fashion stuff.”

“Ugh," Marinette grimaced, her eyes rolling up towards the ceiling. “Audrey is here, too? Those two kind of hate each other. It’s basically a recipe for disaster.”

“Ah! See!” Rose announced, as her phone chimed a bit of Kitty Section’s latest that featured the bass line. “Juleka is here.”

Bouncing, Rose rushed out the door.

“Wait, Rose!” Marinette shouted. 

Alix hovered uncharacteristically close to the group. “She’ll be right back.” 

Kagami nodded. “Juleka had to carry the makeup box in, too, right?”

The minutes ticked by slowly. Marinette was already on edge, fidgeting without anything else to keep her hands busy. Her fingers kept drifting back down to the glowing prop wand hidden up her sleeve.

Alya almost didn’t notice at first when another alert went off on her phone, signalling the Akuma reports had moved closer this time. Over the years, she’d gotten smarter. Her first alerts were all when Ladybug was sighted, but getting alerts of the initial sightings meant that she could sometimes get there first.

If it were any other day, she’d be out of here in a hot minute.

Marinette stopped pacing just beside the door. Frantically, she peered over at her, eyes narrowed in terrified suspicion. 

Alya’s brows rose. Unceremoniously, she shrugged and flipped her phone over, setting it face down on the makeup table. She might still want the scoop on the ensuing battle, especially as it looked like it was pretty close. But she wasn’t about to bail on her best friend. Especially not when Marinette was counting on her so much. 

No one else knew how much this meant to Marinette. It was all they had talked about for weeks on end.

Despite Rose’s pointed warning, Marinette’s teeth were worrying again at her lip.

Luckily, the rest of the crew had finally arrived to help put Marinette’s worries at ease.

Rose ferried in her sizable makeup case and a big duffel bag to go with her costume.

Luka had his arm around Juleka's shoulder, assisting his sister into the room. 

“See?” Alya grinned extra wide, pointedly glossing over the fact that Juleka was wearing a mask and looked very weak on her feet. “Now we’re all here."

“I…” Marinette trailed off, bouncing on her toes. Her fingers paled where her grip tightened on her fairy godmother wand, she gulped audibly. “I think I’m going to go get that drink now.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to Jarl for helping out with this chapter (and hopefully also pushing me to finalize ch3 in the near future).
> 
> Without further ado...

“Marinette!” Alya cried as Marinette rushed down the hallway.

Luka looked stunned, but he and Rose were still busy getting Juleka settled into a chair as she struggled through another coughing fit. 

Alya scrambled back to pick up her phone, nearly stumbling into a very shocked Mylene in the process.

On instinct, Alix leapt over a chair. She and Kagami were at matching pace as they shot towards the door.

Frantically, they both peered in either direction outside of the door but couldn’t see any hint of Marinette.

Kagami’s jaw set. “Where did she go?”

Frowning, Alix glanced back over at Alya, who waved her on. “Go. Find her. I’ll handle things here.”

Flashing her phone at Kagami, Alix winked. “ _Stay connected._ ”

Alya’s eyes narrowed. “You’re so lucky there is _already_ an Akuma right now.”

* * *

Alix swore to herself that she was going to fix this. 

Sprinting down the hallways as fast as her legs — and the crowd — would allow, she ducked into the bathroom. “Marinette? Are you in here?”

Her voice echoing back was the only response.

Shaking her head, she let the door slowly close and moved on to find the next empty room or hallway she could find.

She had only recently — finally — gotten a mission to more actively help with the Rabbit Miraculous. While she was tempted to ask, it almost certainly wouldn’t work here. Not with Ladybug so emphatic the Rabbit only be used under the most dire circumstances. Based upon what her future version had told and shown herself, that made sense.

After Ladybug mentioned to her that Bunnyx could always be counted on to help out in the nick of time, she’d been itching to actually practice the heroics for so long. 

Ladybug’s confidence felt like more weight on her shoulders.

Squaring her shoulders, she opened the next closed door she could find.

No time to practice like the present.

After all, she was used to rushing. 

* * *

“How did Marinette get so fast?” Kagami frowned, a little breathless when they both ran into each other near the main entrance where the crowd was slowly trickling in. “I don’t get it. We’re both _far_ more athletic.”

“Maybe she’s just better at hiding,” Alix mused, instinctively reaching up to fuss with her hair and running into those barattes. Her hands fell to her sides. “Juleka must have really gotten her spooked.” 

Kagami nodded. “She was supposed to walk beside Marinette, right?”

“That’s why Juleka’s dress is the most ornate of the bunch.” Alix confirmed, dialing her phone she set it to speaker so Kagami could listen in, too as they slowly walked back towards the dressing room. 

“Any luck?” Mylene answered.

“Nothing yet,” Alix confirmed sadly.

“Where the heck did Marinette go?” Alya huffed from the other end of the line. “I’ve tried to call her a few times but she isn’t picking up.”

Kagami crossed her arms over her chest, peering out the window in the stairwell. “What about the Akuma battle?”

“From what I can tell from the phone it seems like the battle is drawing to a close around Montparnasse. Chat got there first, but Ladybug was quick enough to catch on once he caught her up.”

“Why are you so focused on that?” Alix chided. “It isn’t like the battle is close by here. We didn’t have to evacuate. And there is no way Marinette would have gotten caught up in running away.”

Kagami hesitated before admitting. “We don’t think so anyways…”

Alya shrugged. “The battle might delay the start a bit and give us extra time. I mean, school did it often enough.”

By the time the pair of them got back up to the dressing room and Alix could hang up her phone, Rose and Mylene were done in the makeup chair. 

Alya pulled them both aside when they walked in, speaking in more hushed tones. “We’ve figured out that Juleka could manage to apply their makeup if she was the one sitting in the chair. She’s making good progress, but there is no way she’ll be able to walk.”

Alix cursed under her breath, pacing the floor. “So what do we do?”

“You sit down and get your makeup on.” Alya insisted.

With a heavy sigh, Alix plopped down in the chair before Juleka. 

“Don’t worry,” confided Juleka in a gravelly whisper. “I’m not doing as much for you. Just a bit more to help bring out her eyes, and a sharp sweep of bunny whiskers to scatter across her cheeks.”

Alix struggled not to dart away. The stick crayon itched, but she fought diligently not to fuss with it.

Alya sighed. “I don’t like it, but I think we need to find someone who could stand in for Juleka After all, Marinette _does_ have a grade on the line for this assignment.”

Rose somberly hovered beside Juleka, offering an extra hand whenever she needed it.

Hesitantly, she peered over to Juleka. “The costume did have a wig anyways. Juleka’s purple shock of hair matched the darker ends of the dress, but she was worried she wouldn’t have the time to style it properly with everything else. Luka helped her find a wig that would more closely match what Marinette had created and pay for it. It would be just one more thing that would let her be more confident up on stage.”

Mylene’s eyes widened. “That...opens up the options a little bit.”

Alix pointed to Kagami from her makeup chair. “What about her?”

Rose sighed. “Unfortunately, Kagami is a bit too short to be able to deal with the length on the skirt Marinette made.” 

Alix grinned, catching Juleka’s gaze. “There’s always your brother…”

“Luka had to head back.” Rose assured. “Besides, he’s a little too tall, and not quite slim enough to wear it.”

Juleka chuckled her way into a coughing fit. “I’d still love to see that…” 

Rose smirked over at her, setting her hand on hers. 

“What about Chloe?” Mylene murmured.

“Or not.” Alya sighed. “We can't be sure she wouldn’t try to sabotage things.”

Alix sighed. “And I’m pretty sure I saw her in the back halls, which were supposed to be limited to the competitors and their assistants.”

“Do you think Chloe has organized a group to compete as well?” Mylene wondered aloud.

“I think a group might be stretching it.” Alya shook her head. “She probably just has herself and Sabrina.”

Ultimately, it was Kagami who said. “Then we have no choice but to find another option.”

The moment Juleka lifted the stick crayon away, Alix nodded. “And fast.”

* * *

Within a few minutes, they had a plan. Since she was going to be in the audience, Kagami was going to try from the other side. 

Alix scrambled down the back hallways, planning to peer out from behind the curtain. Maybe there was another girl out in the audience they had forgotten about who would be the right height. Kagami didn’t know nearly as many people just yet.

As she rounded a corner, Alix collided with someone just outside the auditorium. “Sorry! I’m running late.”

“Alix?”

Blinking, she spun around, finally recognizing the voice. “What are you doing back here?”

“My bodyguard dropped me off at the back entrance to avoid the crowd.” Adrien gently smirked at the outfit Alix is wearing. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wearing something like this.”

“Don’t get used to it.” Alix groused. “It’s one of Marinette’s. I’m doing her a favor.”

His smile softened, almost automatically. “She really does have an eye. It _suits_ you.”

She tilted her head, tapping her lips as a grin grew beneath it. 

Adrien blinked. “I didn’t think the White Rabbit was supposed to grin like the Cheshire cat."

“I’m not sure what version you’ve been watching…” Alix snorted, as her grin only grew more predatory. “Anyways...I was wondering if you might want to help her out, too.”

In an instant, his smug grin faltered. “Marinette needs a hand?” 

She nodded. “Something like that.”

“I’m not sure what I could really do.” His eyes slipped away, a hand lifting to graze the back of his neck. “But if I can help, I will.”

Alix beamed. “I'm sure that will mean _a lot_ to her.”

Adrien’s smile softened. “Well, then. I guess we’d better _hop_ to it.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to Jarl for beta reading!

As he rushed down the back hallways behind Alix adjusting the tie he’d put on for the occasion, Adrien sighed in relief. He really had managed to steal a bit of his Lady’s luck getting here just in time. 

After Alya had been gushing about it on nearly every single one of their group calls for weeks now, he really wanted to see what Marinette had planned. 

Marinette had flushed adorably under all the praise, protesting that she was always “too much.”

Adrien smiled, raked a hand through his hair. Given how much she had been able to improve even in just the past few years, she was going to be a force to be reckoned with someday soon.

With the modelling for his Father — and his extracurriculars — he couldn’t ever do much as he wanted, so he’d desperately wanted to be here to support his dear friend.

Of course, as usual, Hawkmoth had managed to get in the way. 

He wasn’t usually one to keep things short with Ladybug, but he really didn’t want to miss this.

Alix drew up short, stopping in front of one of a series of identical doors. “You ready?”

Adrien blinked. “You never really said what kind of favor you needed.” 

Her grin only grew. “I didn’t, did I?” She murmured cryptically.

But she spoke no further. Instead, she twisted the handle and opened the door, announcing triumphantly. “Ladies! I present... _a solution_.”

All work stopped in the room, as Alix tugged him inside and closed the door behind them. 

At least one makeup brush clattered noisily to the floor. It was one of the only sounds in the previously noisy room.

Despite the mask, Juleka was clearly gaping. She wasn’t the only one.

Alya — more specifically, her laughter — broke the silence. “Oh, that’s _perfect_.”

The girls slowly crossed the room to circle around him.

Mylene peered up at him, standing up on her tiptoes lifting her hand to nearly his own height. “Well, the height checks out.” 

“And the slim form.” Rose agreed, her eyes darting quickly back and forth between himself and Juleka.

Alya smirked as she got up from the makeup chair. “Think he can handle the spin on the catwalk?”

His brows rose at that. That was a little less typical than the usual sizing up he was sometimes used to while modelling.

He smiled guilelessly. Thankfully, he had more than a little practice on the _Chat_ walk.

Alix crossed her arms over her chest. “I feel like he has had at least _a bit_ of practice in all of this.”

Rose piped up. “But in heels?”

Adrien blinked, with a growing sense of confusion. Just _what_ had he gotten himself into. “Is it weird to say I’ve had a bit of practice in heels?”

Doubt narrowed most of the eyes in the room.

Ruefully, he smiled over at Juleka. “When Juleka was Akumatized, of course.”

“It will have to do.” Rose sighed. “We don’t really have another option.”

Without waiting, Alix zipped over to the last of the hangers, gathering the pieces up with Mylene’s help. 

As Juleka put the finishing touches on Alya’s blush, Rose popped back and forth between the two pick up brushes and palettes between digging out a pastel bit of cloth out of the large black bag on the floor..

The flurry of motion was all too familiar and all too disquieting — all at once.

“So...what exactly does Marinette need from me?”

“She needs another model.” Mylene spoke plainly as she and Alix heaped the pile of frilly cloth into his arms. “With Juleka out sick, this is the only way that the whole group can compete.”

Alya nodded. “Marinette has some extra credit from the art department at school riding on doing well in the competition. With all the extra help her parents have needed in the bakery, she could use it to keep her marks high enough.”

Rose nodded. “After she put in so much work, we’d hate to let her down.”

He frowned down at the frilly pile, peering down at the deep lavender faded into soft shades of blue flowing fabrics in the lighted reflection of the mirrors. He knew that he had to be extra careful not to let the fabric snag. Somehow. “Modelling, I can do. I’m just not sure where I’d even put all the pieces.” 

Alya smiled. “Just do what you can. We can help when you’re decent.”

Nodding, Adrien slowly gathered up the hanging bits to keep the diaphanous fabric from ripping and took two cautious steps forward.

The soft snick of the door handle opening was his only warning of what was to come.

“There’s no time.” Alix hissed in whisper. 

Adrien’s eyes widened. “Wha—?” Unceremoniously, he was shoved the final few steps into the tiny powder room bathroom. The door squeaked closed behind his back.

Plummeting him into darkness. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thanks to MiniNoire and deinde-prandium for beta reading!

Adrien blinked his eyes in the sudden dark. Alix had shut the door behind her, but had left just enough space that he could spy a little bit of light streaming in.

He didn’t dare move, fearing he might accidentally tear the fragile fabric. Not until he could trust his eyes in the dark.

Carefully, he pressed his head against the door, peeking out ever-so-slightly as he listened to the conversation outside. There wasn’t much he could see, but his position afforded a half view of the makeup chair in the row of mirrors. 

“Geez, Marinette,” Alya huffed as they pressed her into the makeup chair. “Where on Earth did you go?”

“Sorry,” Marinette grinned ruefully, as Rose pushed Juleka’s makeup chair into place. “I needed to go and de-stress for a few minutes.”

Alix snorted loudly. “I don’t think that required you to fall off the face of the Earth.”

He could hear Marinette’s heavy sigh. “I kind of didn’t want anyone to find me until I got in a better headspace.”

Adrien smiled. It was kind of reassuring that he wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Of course, Marinette didn’t exactly have the luxury to escape in skintight magical leather.

“Sit down, Marinette.” Rose insistently pushed her down into the seat. “You’ve spent weeks creating this magic for us. Now, it’s our turn.”

Alya appeared beside her waving a hair brush. 

“Oh, no!” Marinette moaned. “Even after Mom helped me at home. Does it really look that bad?”

“Well,” Alya intoned, stepping in behind her as Juleka’s chair was moved a bit closer in front of Marinette. “Your little race down the hallways probably didn’t help, but that doesn’t mean we can’t fix it. Besides, your Mom gave us some of her old hair combs and pins anyways.”

He could see her pout growing as Alya started to brush the back part of her hair that was down. “She didn’t mention a thing to me…”

“You were probably busy.” Mylene’s voice could be heard but he couldn’t see her. The sudden appearance of the towel around Marinette’s shoulders to cover the fabric from any makeup stains meant she was probably back beside Rose somewhere.

Alya nodded, as Rose grabbed a small box from the nearby table. 

“ _Oh_ ,” Marinette breathed as she peered down. “Those are lovely.” Carefully, she lifted a pair of matching pins, nodding in approval.

“I like that pair a lot.” Mylene agreed, pausing in her search around for a bottle of hairspray as she ducked back into view. “That color will match your outfit perfectly.”

“Besides,” Alya murmured as she unwound one of the buns to re-pin it. “Your Mom may have mentioned to me that it was best to put them in just before you needed to go onstage. She said it had to be done at the last minute...just in case.” Alya snorted, brushing her hair gently. “It’s like she _knew_ you would run off or something.”

Wrinkling up her nose, Marinette pouted adorably. But she didn’t bother to contradict the words.

Beaming, Adrien stepped away from the door as quietly as he could, holding the delicate fabric close to his chest. 

He was more than a little enthralled watching the process of Marinette getting her makeup on. For as familiar and tedious the process was for him when he was the one in the chair, it was compelling to see for her. Marinette didn’t ever seem to wear that much makeup, and since most of the other girls were nearly ready to walk out onto the stage, she was the one he would get to see _transformed_. 

He struggled to bite back a chuckle. Even with the Miraculous, most of the transformations were a mystery to him. Sure, he’d seen Kagami transform. Chloe, too, when she could have been trusted with their powers. 

Maybe it was because he had always been curious about how Marienette’s mysterious transformation into Multimouse had come about, especially since he'd known it was likely to happen again.

She had played as Ladybug once before, but neither of them had gotten to the point of full stage makeup before the whole plan was scrapped due to the Akuma attack.

Adrien shook his head, willing himself to get in the game and get focused. Right now, _that_ was really what Marinette needed from him. 

With his eyes still adjusting to the near darkness, he was left to feel about blindly for some sort of flat surface that wouldn’t snag the sheer lace at the edges. Running his hand over the edges just to be doubly sure, he set the waves of fabric down with a softly satisfying _flump_.

Eventually, someone would need to help him with the lacing, but considering he could only see the tiniest bit outside except for the tiny pair of sneakers at the base of the door, it was likely that Alix was still guarding the door.

Shrugging, Adrien started to shed his jacket. It wasn’t the first time he would have to change in less ideal circumstances, not with far too many photoshoots in cramped spaces. He was more used to having the Gorilla as a guard, but he knew better than most just how intimidating Alix could actually be.

He smiled in the dark. Or at least, Alix was _definitely_ going tobe in a few short years.

Shaking his head, he tugged his shirt off next. It still _was_ kind of weird that they clearly hadn’t wanted Marinette to see him, but it also meant he was just as safe from prying eyes while he changed. At least until Marinette was out of the room.

He'd have to keep pretty still, but it looked like they were making good progress.

Even with the impromptu guard, Adrien still felt a little exposed - far more than he usual, even with his frequent need for all manner of quick changes. It wasn’t typical to have the girls in his class just a thin doorway away. 

If he stayed quiet, he could strip down as much as he could and carefully step into the lower half of the dress to wrap it around himself like a robe. He’d seen his mother do that when he was younger and had a shared space for some of his father’s events. He wouldn’t have thought he would ever need the information, but was thankful for his good memory anyways. 

Still, he couldn’t help but worry about tearing the more fragile lace and tulle in the dark. 

When he was younger, he had seen more of the back hallways at a show. It was likely in a real show that a model wouldn’t even be trusted to touch the fabrics until they wore it like a second skin. It really said a lot about how much Marinette trusted her friends to pull this off.

Even if he was just stepping into someone else’s shoes, he would honor that trust entirely.

“There we go,” Alya murmured as she stood back and admired her work.

In spite of himself, Adrien couldn’t help but try to lean out just a little further to see it all to full effect.

Dramatically, Alya waved her hands on either side of Marinette’s head. “With just a bit of magic I borrowed from the Unicorns in the Kingdom of Respa, I think she is ready for the stage.” 

Marinette’s eyes narrowed at that. “I could swear I’ve heard that before. Is that from a comic?”

Alya chuckled. “From watching the twins, mostly. But what’s good for five year olds is also good for people with overactive imaginations.”

Marinette stuck her tongue out.

“None of that,” Juleka chided, before turning her head to cough into her elbow. “The lipstick still hasn’t set.”

Dutifully, Marinette set back in the chair, watching Juleka carefully. “Are you sure you’re okay? You really don’t have to walk if you’re not feeling well.”

Juleka stood up to full height, swaying only slightly. “I’m trying to keep the mask on as long as I can...just in case.”

Rose grinned, as she tugged Marinette up out of the makeup chair. “Don’t you worry about Juleka. I’ve already got her dress hanging up in the washroom. With a little luck,” she said a bit louder, “we’ll have her dressed and ready in no time.”

Marinette smiled at that. “I think we could _all_ use a little luck right now.” 

“Meanwhile, “ Alya announced. “We will all go with you to where we need to line up.”

“And,” Alix put in, as her voice started to sound steadily farther away. Blinking, Adrien nearly fumbled to hold onto the door as it shifted in front of him and started to slowly swing open. Paling, he grabbed it tight with his one free hand. “We’ll be there to help you stay as calm as possible while Rose helps Juleka finish getting ready.”

Mylene yelled back. “Don’t forget to call if she needs help, Rose!”

“Don’t worry,” Rose called back in assurance, as the outside door creaked noisily. “I’ve got it covered.”

Finally, he dared to breathe. Listening intently, he could make out the thud of a closing door and the clip-clip of heels across the tile. It was the only warning Adrien got before Rose pulled the washroom door open and flipped the light switch on. “Now. Let’s see what we can do for you.”

Her tiny blonde head circled around him, puzzling out the best place to start.

“I’m not sure I understand...” Adrien frowned watching the pair hover around him. “I thought I was doing a favor for Marinette. Why go through all the hiding?”

“Oh, Adrien.” Rose beamed. “You _definitely_ are doing a favor for her.” She hesitated, tilting her head thoughtfully as she and Juleka shared a look. “We just don’t want to worry her until after everything has settled down. She’s already panicked once.”

His eyes widened, as awareness dawned. “So… Marinette has stage fright?”

“ _Something_ like that.” Juleka coughed.

Rose smiled sweetly, slipping behind him to start lacing up the back of the dress. “Think you can keep it a secret?”

Adrien grinned widely at that. “Better than you think.”

As Rose’s hands started to tighten up the lower laces, Adrien gazed over into the mirror, struck by the sudden, shifting colors. The dress itself was a softer blue but a rich color, with a sheen of tulle on top that was a little bit lighter. As the fabric moved — or he did — the colors moved too. He whistled, watching the base of the heavy skirt fluttering closer to his knees. Weird. It was actually a deeper shade of purple near the hem of the skirt.

His eyes strayed back over to Juleka, watching her with an unsettling wave of anxiety brewing. With that shade of purple, it had definitely been made just for _her_. Besides, it wasn’t all that long ago she had been Akumatized when he unknowingly had taken the space she'd been angling for. 

He might be a little slow about picking up on some things, but he was trying to be better at that. He cleared his throat. “But do you mind that I’m doing this, Juleka?” He frowned. “I know how much you wanted to model before and I didn’t realize I was in the way of your chance.”

“It’s alright,” Juleka sighed heavily. “I know how much this matters to Marinette. I just hate that I can’t help her any more when I’m feeling like this.”

Rose was at her side almost instantly, up on her tiptoes to throw her arms around her shoulders into a comforting hug. “You already have, you know?”

“I’ll do my best not to screw it up.” Adrien promised, smiling softly at the sight. “I know there are a few scouts out in the audience. 

Juleka grew even more pale at the thought. “Really?”

“If I can do this right, you _might_ even get a call. So even if you can’t help today, maybe when you’re feeling better there might be another chance.” He shrugged as much as the tightening fabric would allow, finishing up buttoning the last of the buttons. “It isn't like Father can really know this is me, anyway.”

Both girls looked at him, motioning for him to do a quick spin.

With a grin that would make both his alter ego and his Kwami proud, he obliged.

Though Juleka’s expression was hidden behind her mask, Rose’s smile was plain. He followed the pair out and took his place in Juleka's makeup chair. 

“Now,” Rose grinned, pushing Juleka’s chair into place before him. “ _This_ is what we need you to do...”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Jarl and StrangeRahne for beta reading!

More than once in her life, Marinette had found herself in free fall in the skies of Paris.

Even that hadn’t done a number on her stomach like this was doing to her now.

Anxiously, she paced back and forth in their allotted four square meters of space. 

It was impossible to look up and not see something she wished she had done on one of the other models from the other groups. There were detailed cuts and fabrics that were well out of her usual budget. Her mind raced with ideas and different takes on some of the outfits she saw. Already, she was filing away details and how the colors paired in ways she hadn’t ever considered.

It might have sparked her creative imagination, but there was no sketchbook in sight. Only group after group of models, readying to walk onto the catwalk.

Marinette sighed as she watched some of the designers. Several of these entrants had to be in University. The models were more than a head taller than all of them. 

Was she supposed to be competing against them, too?

She nibbled at the inside of her lip, peering over at Alya. She and Mylene were busy debating about and adjusting the position of the barrettes in Alix’s hair. Her outfit — and Mylene’s, as well — were two of her most straightforward designs. The cuts were flattering, and had been specially tailored to each of them. But compared to some of these models, her work was quite simple.

There was so much more she wanted to do to clean up all the clothes she’d created for each of them… 

Marinette tugged at the ends of her sleeves, pulling the fabric as tight and flat as she could manage to smooth away the slightest hint of a wrinkle. There was a part of her that couldn’t help but regret all the late night patrols. All the battles lately had taken much too long. 

_Including_ the one not even an hour ago. 

It took every bit of her awareness to keep from fussing with her hair and her face. With too much anxious energy to burn, she rocked back and forth on her heels.

Since Chat Noir had burned his Cataclysm early in the battle, he wasn’t able to stick around and help the victim back onto their feet. Dutifully, Ladybug stuck around one minute more than usual to make sure the Akumatized victim was okay before scrambling back here. Of course, that meant she had barely managed to get back to the rooftop entrance before her powers wore off.

“—nette?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Marinette started to pace the small staging area more quickly. Sure, it kept all of Paris safe, but right now, while she was trying to prove herself without the mask, it _really_ left her at a distinct disadvantage. 

If only she’d been faster… If only she’d been smarter about outwitting the endless stream of Akuma.

If only she’d caught up on schoolwork faster, she might have been able to sneak in another few hours here and there to make her outfits really shine.

“Marinette?” Alya hugged her, careful not to wreck the fabric. “Are you doing okay?”

She sighed softly, forcing herself to try to relax. “I’ll be okay. Or at least, I will after we’ve all walked the catwalk and can relax.”

“It’s okay,” Mylene soothed. “Rose and Juleka will be here soon.”

“You’ve heard from them?”

Alix nodded. “Rose said they were almost done a few minutes ago.”

A hush cut over the crowd, as activity happened at the end of the hall. 

Gabriel was here. Dour as ever, he and his signature red pants were spotted, as he walked towards the auditorium in the front of the building, Nathalie at his side, tablet in hand. He didn’t spare a glance at any of them.

Alya squeezed her hand, as Marinette felt her stomach fell out from under her. 

This wasn’t like a battle. Chaotic as they were, battles are easy. She could focus on taking down one challenge, certain that another similar one would follow. It was easy to learn the lessons and incorporate it into the next battle the next day.

In all of the months of preparation for this one show, she pinned and sewed — and embroidered — every one of her future career hopes and dreams into the fabric itself. She knew she had done enough to earn the grade. 

But to catch the eye of the industry? She knew she had to take and make every opportunity for herself, no matter how young she was in comparison.

She could already see that these chances were few and far between.

“I don’t think you have to worry about everyone, Marinette. Chloe definitely didn’t make hers herself.” Alix folded her arms, nodding down the hall to where Chloe stood, filing her nails with a group of tall, unimpressed models. “That has to count for something.”

Marinette pressed her lips into a thin line, wondering aloud. “It actually might disqualify her from at least some of the awards.”

Alya’s eyes narrowed. “Not if her mother is also at the judge’s table.”

Marinette paled. “Audrey Bourgeoise is here, too?” Nervous energy abounded, as she rocked back and forth on her heels again.

A little _too much_ nervous energy.

Alya still had a hold of her hand, but all of Marinette’s wind-milling was certain to mean _disaster_ for the both of them.

Unexpectedly, she fell back against a solid form.

“You okay, Marinette?”

Blinking, Marinette peered up, surprised to see a softly curled wig that nearly matched the soft blues and deeper lavender of the Cinderella dress. “Juleka?”

As she righted herself, Marinette frowned at the mask still covering Juleka’s face.

With a pointed cough, Juleka adjusted the lace overlay on top of the bodice.

“Juleka!” Mylene gushed. “Oh, the hair is lovely!”

Rose beamed. “Luka helped us track down a wig to soften out the edges. Juleka had just darkened her ends a different shade of purple after you started to sew the outfit. We didn’t want to damage her hair by making another change so fast.”

“Huh.” Alix chimed in. “I’d bet it would even go with her Kitty Section mask, too.”

Juleka nodded. 

Rose grinned. “That’s definitely the idea. The heels, too.”

Rose stepped back, giving Juleka a little room to show off the mid-calf purple heeled boots. The pattern set into the soft overlay of lace nearly matched the sheer fabric gathered to softly fall around her shoulders. 

“I know Juleka doesn’t get to dress up like this often, but it was really fun to go shopping together for something she would be able to feel confident enough to use again.”

Marinette blinked, circling around Juleka to check and make sure that everything was in place. 

She spent a little extra time, fidgeting with the ribbon at her back. Juleka started a bit, straightening to attention when she gently shifted the ribbon around.

Nearly satisfied, Marinette circled back to look at Juleka’s face. “What about your mask?” 

Juleka coughed again, peering over at Rose to fill in the gaps.

“We’re trying to keep everyone healthy. This cold really took poor Juleka out.” With a smile, Rose pulled out a tube of lipstick from the pocket of her hooded cape. “Just to be sure we didn’t want to wreck the makeup, we set the foundation place it in the dressing room, but I brought this along too, just in case Juleka needs any touch ups.”

Some of the tension slipped from Marinette’s shoulders. “So the mask will come off just before we go on stage.”

Juleka nodded.

* * *

Little by little, they moved up as the groups in front of them had started to walk. An endless rush of music played on stage, creating a tinny echo that filled the tiny back hallway as they neared the stage. The whole group had lined up in pairs: Alix and Mylene, Rose and Alya, and finally Juleka and herself.

Marinette fretfully replayed the plan, over and over in her mind, until she noticed Juleka teetering a bit on the high heels. 

Juleka winced, peering down at her feet, grumbling in a hushed whisper. “Ugh. These shoes _definitely _should be illegal.”__

____

Noticing her concern, Rose had stepped back, pulling Marinette aside. “The shoes aren’t entirely broken in yet since we went out and bought them to match so late. Juleka was trying to practice backstage. We ended up stuffing a bit of cotton in the pointed toe to help. That was why we took a few minutes longer.”

____

“Oh,” Marinette breathed, glancing over at her wincing Cinderella. “That makes sense. So, she’s just trying to take it easy on her feet until it’s time to go on?”

____

Rose nodded and stepped back into place, as they moved up again, finally into the area behind the curtains.

____

As the finally filed into the backstage area, Rose carefully slipped the mask off of Juleka's face and checked her lipstick.

____

Reassuringly, Marinette reached out and gave a final squeeze to Juleka’s hand as they both readied to make their entrance. "You okay?"

____

Juleka winked back at her.

____

Marinette blinked. She definitely hadn't been expecting that.

____

Marinette inhaled sharply, straightening her shoulders as she was gently ushered out onto the catwalk. Under the lights and the gaze of everyone there, it was a little nerve wracking. 

____

This must be why only a few other designers were also modelling their work. 

____

As she got to the end of the stage and posed, letting the sleeves swing fully open, fluttering like wings before turning back and moving quickly. 

____

Turning on her heel, Marinette started to count as Juleka strode forward. It wasn’t exactly as they practiced, but considering Juleka wasn’t feeling that well, she managed it with flair.

____

As Marinette herself was walking back, she was watching Juleka.

____

She was doing well, at least until she got to mid-stage. The movements were still graceful, just far more tense than she’d expected. Considering how the butterflies had just hit her, it had to be stage fright. 

____

Grabbing her wand, she waved it at Juleka for attention. It would have to be a move on the fly instead of what they’d practiced, but it would get her focused and out of her own head.

____

With a dramatic wave of her wand, she mimed a spin. Juleka’s eyes widened before she snapped to attention and stepped into the spin on command.

____

There was a shimmer and sheen to the dress that almost looked like a snow globe of glitter around her as she spun.

____

The trick of it all, though, _that_ was the crowning achievement.

____

With all the practice, Marinette carefully snagged the sparkling star of her wand on the open loop of ribbon at the back of the dress, loosening the string that held back the hem, taking the skirt from the heavier knee length it had been at to the more apt-ly princess-like proportions. The lengthened skirt deepened into lavender.

____

The marvel and joy on Juleka’s face looked genuine. With a quick final glance back, Juleka strutted out to the edge of the catwalk. Letting the full skirts swirl around once more as she halted at the edge of the catwalk, she stood tall and proud.

____

Beaming, Marinette continued to walk out, slipping the wand back into the secret pocket as she moved. There were still other groups to follow.

____

Marinette beamed from where she could finally breathe more easily backstage, well out of sight of the audience. Alya had already tugged her into a hug first thing, Rose, too.

____

Juleka lifted her off her feet, swinging her around backstage. “Marinette! That was amazing.”

____

Rose beamed widely at the pair of them as Juleka slowly set her back on the floor. “You’ve got it in the bag for sure.”

____

Juleka blushed as Alya shushed them all and led them out the door back into the hallway they stood in before.

____

Alix lead the group, they were to file into the back rows of the auditorium to await the results.. “That actually is possible. Isn’t that Gabriel’s secretary that is headed this way?”

____

“Yep,” Alya confirmed. “I’m sure I’ve seen her dropping off Adrien more than once.”

____

“Oh…” Juleka halted in place, growing increasingly more pale as she pressed a hand over her stomach. “Maybe I shouldn’t have spun around like that.”

____

“Juleka,” Marinette frowned in concern. “Are you feeling ill?”

____

Juleka nodded, backpedaling and disappearing down the hall in the opposite direction. “Sorry.”

____

Marinette peered around.

____

Nathalie approached her with a checklist at the ready. “Miss Dupain-Cheng. The judges need to know which of your items were handmade and what had to be bought.”

____

As she finished Nathalie’s questions and Nathalie turned to the next designer, she spotted a familiar hair color heading towards the auditorium.

____

“Oh!” Marinette’s brows furrowed. It wasn’t just the dark hair with purple tips. Juleka was wearing the same outfit she’d seen her arrive in.

____

“Well. That’s... _weird_.” Confused, Marinette peered back down the hallway where her Cinderella had rushed off.

____

Marinette glanced around. Aside from a little bit of trash here and there, the hallways looked mostly empty. Except… her eyes narrowed. There was a small mess of blue and purple on the floor.

____

Reaching down towards the floor, Marinette blanched, the weight of the discarded blue and purple wig now heavy in her hands. 

____

With all of her Fairy Godmother magic now washed away, it was never more clear.

____

Finally safe to nibble at her lip, Marinette indulged. 

____

Whoever it was who had joined her on the walk, wearing the dress she made — able to quickly pick up all of her tricks — it _hadn’t_ been Juleka.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any interest in seeing some of the costume inspiration?
> 
> Now adding not one but two scenes from this chapter from Enber:
> 
> [From the Catwalk](https://caffeinatedmagpie.tumblr.com/post/635547556136583168/model-behavior-the-catwalk)
> 
> [Backstage Again](https://caffeinatedmagpie.tumblr.com/post/635548024846860288/model-behavior-backstage)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With thanks to deinde-prandium and SapphireAmethystVSCO for beta reading!

“Okay,” Chat Noir finally allowed himself to breathe as he lay safely across the lighting rig, high above the stage. His baton was extended fully, bracing the other sides of the wall to ensure his weight wouldn’t cause any more issues.

Sure, the metal cross bars were a little difficult to see through, but this was definitely the better option. 

The curtains had given him cover for a little while, but he feared the stage hand would come over to close the curtains and his hiding place would be compromised. Besides, the heavy fabric kept billowing every time he moved to get a better view of his surroundings.

Chat’s eyes darted anxiously to the stage below. Nathalie had already lined up several of the designers beside the back door of the stage, waiting for the next stage of the competition.

Frowning, he patted the pocket of his transformation, only to remember belated that his jacket pocket was already empty. He hadn’t expected to be watching the rest of the show from the rafters. Plagg was bound to be mad. He’d already eaten his last chunk of Camembert. 

Of course, neither of them expected he would need to transform again so soon, practically right on the heels of one battle ending.

It just wasn’t like he had much other choice. Not after he’d spotted Nathalie coming straight toward him. 

On instinct, Adrien had darted down the closest hallway he could find as fast as Juleka’s heels would allow.

In his haste, he rushed around the corner, peering back towards the dressing rooms. Of course, there was no way for him to get back up to the dressing room to change back into his regular clothes without being spotted. His bodyguard was monitoring the corridor that ran to the dressing rooms, probably looking for some sign of him. 

Even as silent as his bodyguard remained, he couldn’t trust that word wouldn’t get back to Father. There was no one here with rare action figures to help buy his continued silence.

Of course, with his rotten luck, the wig had fallen off some time in the middle of his mad dash. He must have jostled it free of all the pins Rose and Juleka had shoved into his hair to hold it in place when he had picked Marinette up to celebrate.

Even if he could sneak past the Gorilla, he’d look suspicious if anyone else was standing around, as all the other models in this show were female.

Sometimes, it didn’t pay to be so recognizable. 

Without any other safe place to escape, he’d darted into the dark maze of curtains until he realized even that was much too exposed.

It wouldn’t be wrong for him to say he was watching because it was all too likely that this would draw Hawkmoth’s attention. Aside from cheering Marinette on, half of the reason he decided to come in the first place was to watch for a potential Akuma.

It would just be incredibly suspicious for Chat Noir to show up _before_ an Akuma. 

Chat Noir frowned. 

This never would have gone so wrong if his father hadn’t actually bothered to show up in person for once.

_How_ was Adrien supposed to know that Gabriel Agreste would actually be there if no one even thought to tell him? In spite of all the times he’d asked, Father had never bothered to attend any of his shows or recitals or competitions. He had only ever even left the house two other times in the past year. He expected this was like anything else, where Father would participate remotely with Nathalie’s usual assistance.

Chat exhaled deeply. He wasn’t entirely sure what hurt more: the fact that Father had left the house for some other event, or the fact that he’d had _no idea_ his father had planned to attend in person.

In that heart-stopping moment, when he had realized that his Father had finally come to an event -- one that _wasn’t_ for him -- it had hit him like a barrage from Mr. Pigeon’s flock.

The rising wave of panic made it hard to breathe, rattling all those years of training to keep himself cool and measured enough to live up to the Agreste name. Adrien felt very much like he was still the 10 year-old first learning how to walk on the catwalk with his disapproving father looking on.

Even from the stage, he could see how Father’s eyes had narrowed speculatively on the catwalk. He could see the growing disappointment building in his eyes.

Nothing else made him fear more that Father _had_ seen through his disguise.

And if he hadn’t noticed, it was just as terrifyingly possible that _Nathalie_ might have.

In the end, it had only been Marinette who had pulled him out of his head while she stood beside him on the stage, wiedling her own brand of magic.

Chat smiled softly as he spotted her through the doorway below. Marinette really had outdone herself with the design on the skirt. He was ecstatic for Marinette. The design adjustments she had made to allow the skirt to transform was honestly so clever.

He was eager to see if she would manage to snag one of the awards. He was honestly just sad he really wouldn’t be able to hang around and celebrate with her after the show had ended.

Sticking around would only mean trouble -- for both him and for Marinette. 

Adrien didn’t really want to be grounded for days on end, but he really worried that his Father might try to punish Marinette if he’d been caught.

Especially considering that she didn’t even know how he had secretly helped…

He was truly glad to be able to help. He didn’t even need her thanks...even though he was sure he would have it once she knew. 

Chat snorted. Since Alya knew, it was probably just a matter of time before word got back to Marinette.

Chat Noir smiled fondly as he spotted her again beside the stage doors. He missed it last time, because she hadn’t stood in the doorway for long, but it seemed like she had found the wig he’d dropped.

Marinette was staring down at the long, colorful strands and looking seriously perplexed. She must be trying to figure out where Juleka went.

His claws gripped the metal platform. If Marinette would just set the wig down someplace out of the way, he could grab it. He could de-transform and put it back on.

Maybe if he tried to get her attention? 

His eyes scanned the whole of the stage. How could he manage to do that without alerting anyone else?


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to deinde-prandium for beta reading!

Marinette nibbled at her lip as Gabriel’s secretary carefully arranged everyone into a single file line just outside the hallway doors. 

She was one of the last in line, which was probably a good thing anyways, as she still needed to puzzle out what to do with Juleka’s wig until she could get it safely back to her. 

Fingers delicately slid through the strands of the wig, as she and the others were corralled just behind the curtains to file back out onto the stage.

It was more than a little odd that _Cinderella_ had abandoned a wig instead of the usual shoes, but considering how quickly they had disappeared, maybe it shouldn’t have been all that surprising. Juleka’s purple shoes did have straps to better hold them in place.

Marinette sighed. She was supposed to be the Fairy Godmother here. Playing the additional role of Prince hadn’t exactly been on her agenda for the day. She had enough on her plate just waiting to hear how much the judges liked her outfits. 

Frowning, Marinette looked at the bobby pins inside that had been used to affix the wig to the person’s head. It was hard to determine the exact hair length of whoever had literally stepped into Juleka’s shoes.

But the color was clearly blonde. She had found that one, longer blonde hair before Nathalie had nudged them all into the darkened wings of the stage. It was much too light to have been Juleka’s. 

Rose immediately came to mind, but she had no doubt that Rose at least had been the real deal. It obviously couldn’t have been any of the other girls, either. 

Chloe came close, but there was no way she was pulling double duty considering she’d been lined up with her own group that went on ten minutes before.

(Also, she was _still_ Chloe.)

There were few people as tall as slim as Juleka. Fewer still who could manage in heels. 

But even that was telling. She was rapidly eliminating the possibilities. 

“More like _paws_ ibilities,” she grumbled, under her breath, as the line in front of her started to move forward.

With a heavy sigh, Marinette decided the best option was to gently roll the wig and stuff it ever-so-carefully into the relative safety of the pseudo pocket she’d created in the leading edge of the widened sleeve. The loops inside the sleeve had worked well enough to hide her wand so that no one else would notice. And she didn’t just want to leave the wig out as Juleka had gone to such trouble to get it in the first place. If there was any hope that the wig was still salvageable after it had fallen onto the floor, it was worth it.

The heavy cloth would mask the wig, but the cloth wasn’t likely to fall as neatly.

She shook her head, following the other contestants in a single file line that stopped just behind the curtains offstage. With no time to waste, she tucked the wig as much as possible into the heavy sleeve.

Maybe it was _because_ she knew Chat Noir so well that he was always going to be one of the first people to come to her mind. His height was about right, anyways.

Chat Noir definitely had managed to handle the heels before -- though with no small amount of complaint.

Which also made a little too much sense.

There was also the rather suspicious fact that _Cinderella_ had stayed rather pointedly quiet. At the time, she hadn’t thought anything of it. Juleka usually let Rose do most of the talking anyways.

But if her _Cinderella_ really hadn’t been Juleka, it meant that the girls had a reason for keeping it quiet.

Which meant the girls probably _knew_ who they had asked. Even if she had no idea how they’d managed it.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of Paris.” The Mayor’s voice boomed from the podium, echoing backstage. “Thank you all again for attending today’s competition...” 

Marinette winced, at the volume, as she bent her head to carefully adjust the longer sleeves.

“A credit to the talents of all our young Parisians…” Mayor droned on. His speech itself was only interesting in that he barely—and diplomatically—managed not to specifically remind the judges that his own daughter was one of the contestants.

They brought the contestants in closer, ready to file out onto the stage.

Blinking, she pulled back a tiny paper airplane stuck in the folds of her hanfu. Confused, she glanced around. Spotting one—no make that three more—littering the floor.

Warily, she opened up the tiny plane, fearing she’d see some sort of message in warning.

Instead, the tiny lined pages were blank.

Anxiously, she glanced up and around, peering up at the maze of lights and rafters above. These planes had to be coming from somewhere.

 _There_ , she breathed. It was faint, but the sight of green eyes glowing in the dark was a little too familiar to her.

Her eyes widened. It only gave more credence to her theory. Why else would he be here, lingering up in the stage rafters?

The girls had somehow convinced Chat to help her out. Even she hadn’t had the slightest idea until something had gotten him spooked enough to bolt. 

She nibbled at her lip. It couldn’t have been his transformation timer. 

Even if they had managed to convince him to help when Juleka was clearly too ill, there was no way he’d been wearing a mask on stage... when he'd donned the dress and shoes.

Marinette inhaled sharply at the implications of this sudden realization. If any of the girls even _suspected_ who was behind the mask…

 _That_ must have been why he felt he had to bolt.

It was already tying her stomach into knots. She pressed a hand over her belly to quiet the rising flutter of slightly less dangerous butterflies.

Anxious as she was, she was paying less attention to the stage directions and more to peeking around the back of the stage. At least until Nathalie unceremoniously shoved her forward.

Gulping, Marinette squared her shoulders and walked to her mark on the stage.

As she spotted Juleka in the audience, still wearing what she had arrived in up with the other girls. Whatever lingering doubts remained in her mind evaporated as her grip reflexively tightened on the wand up her sleeve.

No matter what, it had been entirely too sweet of Chat Noir to come to her rescue. But now, it was _her_ turn to have to rescue her Kitty from the proverbial tree.

Somehow, she’d have to manage it all without figuring out his secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, my brain. How quickly it forgets. Big thanks go out to several members of APS, including Boogum and PlaPla for helping with the paper airplane idea. I'm probably forgetting someone, but let's just blame my ridiculous brain.


End file.
